Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday said the state government is undertaking comprehensive reforms in the education sector to improve the quality and effectiveness of government schools. The reforms are being implemented in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Mission Shikshit Arunachal, with the government aiming to achieve the mission’s objectives by 2029.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee Meritorious Students Awards ceremony for the 2024-25 academic session, Khandu said a task force was constituted for implementing NEP 2020 following consultations with community-based organisations and other stakeholders. He said the government is rationalising the number of schools while strengthening the Inter-Village school model, with greater attention being given to infrastructure and the availability of teachers, particularly subject-specific teachers.

The Chief Minister also pointed to the rise in enrolment in government schools in recent years, describing the trend as encouraging at a time when declining enrolment in government schools remains a challenge in several parts of the country. He urged young achievers to remain disciplined, focused and committed to excellence, saying they would have an important role in shaping the future of Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 30 state-level toppers from Classes III to XII were felicitated, while around 840 students received the awards at the district level.

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Khandu also stressed the importance of preserving Arunachal Pradesh’s tribal traditions and values, urging students to respect parents, elders, teachers and members of the school community. He said sports should receive equal importance alongside academics for the overall development of young people and noted that playgrounds have been provided in government schools across the state. The Golden Jubilee Meritorious Students Award was instituted in 2022 and its implementation began from the 2023-24 academic session.

The Chief Minister said the government was creating multiple career opportunities for Arunachali youth in government service, the private sector, entrepreneurship, startups and emerging fields. He also highlighted efforts to encourage more young people to join the Armed Forces as officers, including the establishment of the state’s first Sainik School at Pasighat in collaboration with the Centre and a second Sainik School at Tawang under the public-private partnership model.

Khandu further said the state government was working with the Army to establish a structured coaching mechanism to provide selected students with specialised preparation for examinations such as the NDA and CDS. The proposed initiative is intended to help students pursue officer-level careers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces, including the SSB, ITBP, CRPF and BSF. He also highlighted support for students admitted to universities ranked among the top 150 globally under QS rankings as part of efforts to provide Arunachal’s youth with greater global exposure.

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